Even for a commercial TV Network it would have been a bit
rough, a direct promo for a non-news program in a regular news
broadcast. But when it was the esteemed ABC radio, with its holier than
thou attitude to crass commercial interests, it was more than a little
tacky.

I am talking about the 12 Noon News on Saturday, May 21. At the end of the News in NSW there was a plug for the
new series of Dr Who which went to air on ABC TV night.

There was a small introduction followed by a brief report. It was not there in the 1pm news.

So who authorised this non-News and Current Affairs plug?
I’ve heard plugs as news stories for programs like Four
Corners, Lateline, The 7.30 Report and even Stateline. But not a
non-news program.

The first episode of Dr Who was watched by 1.1 million
people nationally and was the country’s fourth-most watched program on Saturday
night.